


Kairos

by anenigmaticsmile



Series: Straight Through Me Universe [4]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Angst, M/M, Melancholy, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-27 13:55:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13249617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anenigmaticsmile/pseuds/anenigmaticsmile
Summary: It's their one-year anniversary and Baekhyun has shit to do.(Or: the day leading to up to Straight Through Me, through Baekhyun's eyes)





	Kairos

**Author's Note:**

> This might stand alone well enough if you're looking for a quick read, but it is _highly_ suggested to read with [Straight Through Me](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11091945). Before, after, doesn't matter. Just together.

Baekhyun squirms himself awake.  There is a dog breathing in his face and it is not exactly acceptable.

“Go ‘way, Kongju,” he murmurs, sleepily dropping his hand somewhere in the vicinity of her head.  He gets a second of reprieve from the stench before she licks him across the face.  He groans, wipes his mouth.  Fumbles around on the nightstand for a minute before squinting into the brightness of his screen.  “Fuck’f girl,” he mumbles as he buries his head back in his pillow. His ridiculously warm pillow. “Is only four.  Sleep time.”

She whines and nuzzles into his side.  Right where he’s ticklish.  He shouldn’t have let her figure that one out.

He buries deeper into his pillow, ignoring the tickles, curling sideways into the very warm pillow that’s there.  And realizes why it’s so warm.

Four in the morning is not the best time to make decisions, Baekhyun will later defend himself, once the sun has risen properly and his boyfriend is trying his damndest to be _angry_ and _disappointed_ that he was unceremoniously – and literally – kicked out of bed.

\--

Kai brings Kongju back to bed with him, once he’s wandered outside in little more than his boxers just so she can take a piss on the neighbor’s flowers.  Baekhyun immediately curls into her side, a snake drawn to warmth, and Kai’s too tired to do anything but collapse half on top of the pair.

Actual morning comes two hours later with a weak sun filtering over the city and Baekhyun’s phone tinkling away with his early alarm.  The alarm’s carefully calculated to be loud enough to wake Baekhyun, but still quiet enough to let Kai sleep – but it doesn’t quite matter today.  Kai’s still splayed across Baekhyun’s back.  There’s really no hope for it.

Kai hits the ground for the second time.  Baekhyun groans as he stretches to his phone, silences the alarm.  Shower and go.  He can’t be late to work again.  Especially not today.

He trips over his boyfriend in his rush to the bathroom; the idiot’s managed to fall asleep already.  Maybe he never even woke up.  Not that there’s anything to fault with that – it was a hell of a late night last night, and he doesn’t have to be in for rehearsals until ten, and he _really_ likes to sleep, anyway.

\--

It takes two minutes for the shower to warm.  It always takes two minutes to warm.  He takes two minutes to piss.  It works.

\--

Baekhyun’s all pruny when he stumbles out of the shower, skin deep red from the scalding water and blond hair sticking every which way.  Probably took a little longer than he should have, but it was so _warm_ and he is _exhausted_.  He towels off and tugs on his boxers, his slacks.  Takes a moment to dry his hair and style it, using some of Kai’s gel – well, both of their gel at this point, honestly – and checks to make sure his makeup has successfully disappeared in the, ah, four hours of sleep he’s gotten.

Satisfied with his appearance, he bumbles out and fights his way into a shirt and tie.  It’s far harder than it should be.  He hates the damn dress code.  His phone’s been moved from the nightstand to the dresser, probably whenever Kongju nosed Kai awake for breakfast.  It’s only 6.30.  He’s still making pretty good time.

\--

There’s breakfast on the table already.  It’s porridge and fruit, but that’s about all Kai can cook, and Baekhyun loves routine.  Kongju sits nicely by her dish, waiting for everyone else to sit and eat, while Kai is doing _something, loudly_ , in the fridge, in just his boxers – actually, no.  In Baekhyun’s boxers.  The ones with the big red kiss on the ass that keep ending up in the trash, Kongju’s bowl, other people’s Christmas presents – anywhere Kai thinks will make them disappear.

Baekhyun considers teasing his blind boyfriend about it, but, honestly, it’s funnier this way.  Kai turns, triumphant, a few moments later, orange juice clutched tightly in his hand.  Joins Baekhyun at the table.

Of course, they all three are still mostly asleep, and breakfast is a quiet affair.  The silence is broken by Baekhyun’s phone, ringing his five minute alarm.  They all start and Baekhyun quickly clears his place.

Kai follows him to the entrance, watches him pull on his shoes and jacket from far closer than is normal, but he’s blind, that’s fine.  “Have a good day at work,” he whispers, voice still not quite awake.  “I’ve got an evening break tonight – you home?”

“Probably not,” Baekhyun says, and that’s not a lie.  “I’ll be home at noon, but there’s meetings until late.”  That is also _not a lie_.  “I’m going to run for groceries – anything you need?”

Kai hums noncommittedly, eyes already starting to close.  Baekhyun steps forward and hugs him, burying his face into his neck.  Savors the smell.  They use the same body wash, the same shampoo, but for some reason it always smells so much nicer on his boyfriend.  Kai ruffles Baekhyun’s hair back, and they part.

\--

“Hey, Sehun,” Baekhyun whispers, leaning over the other’s monitor.  Even a whisper feels like a shout in the dungeon. “You know that thing I asked you to hide for me?”

Sehun glances up from his spreadsheet.  The numbers were making his eyes hurt anyway.  “Maybe.”

“Shh, no, come on, you know what it is.  I need it back.  Right now.”  Keeping it private would be nice too.

“What do I get?”  He’s smirking now and Baekhyun really doesn’t want to deal with his stupid, loud face any more today.

“Satisfaction?  Happiness?  Another day without ice in your pants and a lizard in your drawer?”

Sehun’s eyes widen.  Contract.  “Good point,” he says, as he reaches into the bottom drawer of his desk and rummages for a moment.  “Here.”

Baekhyun takes the book from his friend.  “Wonderful – you’re the best,” he replies, and wonders if maybe he’s laying it on a bit thick.

“I know I am, but what are you?”

They both snigger.  They’re still children.

As Baekhyun starts to leave, Sehun remembers.  “The meetings tonight – are you going to make it or,” he stares meaningfully at the book and wiggles his eyebrows significantly, “do you have better things to do?”

There’s a brief second when Baekhyun wants to throttle him.  It has never been like that, and his friend – his best friend – should know that.  But he doesn’t.  He restrains himself.  “Ahh, yeah, I’m taking a half day.  Last thing I want to do is be stuck around here all night.  And tomorrow too.”  Let Sehun take that as he will.

He does.  “Awesome,” he says, eyes glinting ridiculously, “enjoy it.  Drinks Saturday?”

“Sure.”  And _that_ is a lie.

\--

It takes an hour for groceries.  It takes fifteen minutes to get home.  That puts the clock at a quarter past one and Baekhyun’s happy enough with that.  Gives him almost five hours to get things ready.  He starts by letting Kongju out.

She’s hyper from being kenneled for hours; he pushes her off his chest and lets her run inside.  Kai doesn’t like her doing that, but Baekhyun doesn’t particularly care.  He’s busy and tired and she’ll wear herself out eventually.

He starts in the kitchen, restocking the fridge with produce and juice and the freezer with easy meals.  Rice and cereal and ramen and tinned vegetables crowd into the pantry.  He’s pretty sure he’s gotten enough for a month.  He dumps Kongju’s kibble into one of the lower cabinets – he’s never strong enough to put it up high where it belongs – and locks the door.  The dog pauses in her races to slobber on his nice pants and he pets her in return as he heads to stock the bathroom.  Toilet paper and toiletries – new soap and hair products and an extra jar of the brand new gel.

He wants to tidy up a little.  Make it nice.  Make it special.  He settles for falling on the couch and staring at the T.V.  At some point, Kongju stops her running and decides to nap with him, smothering him in fur.  They stay like that until Baekhyun’s phone goes off.  Five o’clock.

There’s only an hour to get this place to rights.

Baekhyun starts with piling his dirty shit into his old duffel.  It’s been a long while since he’s done his laundry at his own apartment, but today is important and today is big and he doesn’t want to leave this fucking mess lying about.  He gets his dress clothes, his workout clothes, his lazy-night-in clothes.  He straightens the clean clothes that have been rehoused in Kai’s dresser at some foggy point in the past year.  He grabs his makeup off the counter and puts it on its shelf for the first time in goddamn weeks, like he’s been meaning to, like Kai’s been asking him to.

His duffel gets run to the dumpster with the rest of the week’s trash.  Kongju still isn’t truly housebroken.

Back upstairs, in Kai’s apartment, he rifles through his work bag for the damn book.  Flips through it to make sure Sehun hasn’t decided to ruin it.  Smooths the beautiful binding.

 

Paperclips in that last note on that last page that is so private.  That was never anyone else’s to even glance at.

Only Kai’s.

 

He places it carefully on the coffee table, pushing days-old mugs off to the side.

“Down, girl,” he tells Kongju.  “Stay off.”  She listens.

\--

It’s five thirty and Baekhyun really needs to get going.

His phone buzzes as he bends down to grab his bag.

_Hey~ I’m just getting off.  Good luck with the meetings!  I’ll see you tomorrow?  I’m really looking forward to the long weekend~ Plenty of time to rest! <3 <3 <3_

Kai’s really never gotten the hang of texting – not for lack of effort on either of their parts.

It takes a minute for Baekhyun to decide to respond.  It takes another to decide what to say.

 _Looking forward to the break_ , he finally decides.  Tacks on several hearts for good measure.  Adds a couple more.

He silences his phone before throwing it in his pocket again.  Picks his bags up and sets them in the hall.  Squats down next to Kongju and ruffles her ears.

“If you promise to be very very good,” he says, “I’ll let you stay out until your dad gets home.  He’ll be here within the hour.  Will you be very good?”

She licks him up the face and he takes it as a yes.

“Okay, I’m trusting you,” he says and she whines in return.  He tries not to think on that.

\--

Baekhyun throws on his jacket and takes up his work bag.  Glances around the apartment again.  It looks perfect.

The door clicks behind him and he locks it with steady fingers.

Leaves the building.

It’s time to rest.

**Author's Note:**

> [talk to me](http://elliesword.tumblr.com/ask)


End file.
